Persecution Watchdog is warnings as the situation in Syria appears to be getting worse for minority groups like Druze and Alawites.
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Joel Verdkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News that Syrian government forces chased these groups and killed innocent people in the process.
The recent invasion unfolded last week with fatal consequences.
“The Syrian government forces have once again launched an attack on religious minorities, this time they launched an attack on Druze, a religious group that accounts for around 3% of Syria’s population and is considered heretics by jihadist groups,” the CSI wrote in a statement. “From July 14 to July 18, Syria’s Islamic-led government sent troops to occupy Sweida, a mountainous region of South Syria where the majority of its population is drooping. Once inside the province’s population centre, the government forces committed a lot of abuse.”
This violence may not have been confined to the Druze population alone. Although the motives and exact details are still unknown, Khaled Mazar, pastor of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in the city of Sweeda, was killed along with 11 other families.
“We’re still putting together details about what happened, but we know that Rev. Khaled Mazar was attacked by an armed fighter jet in Soweda last week,” Woldkamp said. “He, his wife, and his children, and some other members of his relative (12 in total) have been killed. And there’s the 13th person who survived just because they thought she was dead, basically.”
Druze was the main target, but he said that government fighters can sometimes kill Christians along the way, especially when chasing other minority groups.
“This violence is not limited to one community,” Veldkamp said. “It will spread and affect Christians too.”
His warnings are listened, as Syrian Christians are reportedly afraid of how they will be treated immediately, especially after former al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Al-Sharara rose to power to become rulers after Bashar al-Assad’s expulsion.
Despite Alshara’s pledge to treat minorities well, intrusions on Druze and other past issues indicate that actions may not fit words or pledges.
Weldkamp said this month’s Druze attacks described “one of the worst weeks of the Syrian civil war.” He explained more in detail what unfolded after government officials entered the Sweeda area.
“They started killing people and plundering people’s homes,” he said. “And this was very clearly religiously led violence. They were screaming out Alaf Akbar, the army of the new Syrian government. They were calling the Pagans of Druze. … They were calling them pigs.”
Veldkamp continued, “I saw a horrifying video I’ve never seen before. Government forces enter the apartment, find some Druze men, force them to jump off the balcony of their apartment, and as they are jumping, they shoot each one, then scream “Arafu Akbar.” ”
This attack on the Druze population came months after the March attack on Arawis, a Muslim sect. Click here to learn more.
Veldkamp believes one factor that will limit extreme, targeted violence against Christians is the continued reaction between the US and Europe.
“Now, the (Syrian government) really needs development assistance from the country and Europe. “So they’re holding back Christians for now, but our friends in Syria say that everyday life is becoming more uncomfortable for Christians.”
Watch Joel explain the situation.
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